Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-06-23
He Killed The Bear.
Baptist Minister'S Desperate ,Tussle and
Lucky Escape

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Lucky Escape.
Chicago Tribune correspondent, writ
ing from Parkersburg, w. Va, says: Rev.
DIR. Webb, minister of the Baptist faith,
who is we'll known in the interior count
les, had rough time of it not very long
ago while travelling through The woods.
| The section of country to which his da-
ties call him is sparsely settled, and is full
Of game and bears, wildcats and panthers.
The preacher had repeatedly been ad-
Vlsed to carry revolver or gun, but never
went armed with anything more formid.
able than pocket-knife until after his
recent encounter.
On recent trip over the mountains the
preacher was quietly walking along the
top of ridge which was thickly covered
with heavy timber, when he was rudely in
terupted by pig-like grunt directly in
front of him. aaising his eyes, expect
ing to see stray hog, he found himself
face to face with large bear, whose suap-
ping little eyes betrayed an intention to
discuss the right of way with the rev.
erend gentleman. Mr.. Webb threw up
his hands and shouted at Bruin and adj
vanced in threatening manner, expect
ing to see the bear amble away in fright.
But the unorthadOx brute didn't run; on
the contrary, he reared up on his hind
legs and advanced toward the minister in
threatening manner, with mouth open
and his black paws stretched out ready
to embrace his opponent in a warm, if
not affectionate, manner. The preacher
lodged behind large oak tree and drew
his pocket knife.
just as the bear reached the tree the
doctor lodged around to the other side,
but was quickly followed by the bear.
The subsequent proceedings interested
the doctor TO such an extent that he for
got the text for the next Sundays sermon
on which he had been Eliminating. Round
and round they scurried; sometimes the
bear would get close enough to reach the
doctors coat sleeve or skirt, on which oc-
casion he would eliminate a portion of
the doctors appeared, and the doctor
would return the complement by plung-
ing the knife-blade into the BEARS paw
neck or nose. In short time the doctor
was almost completely stripped of coat
sleeves and skirt, and had a number of
severe scratches on his arms and BODY,
while the bear had received dozen or of
cuts and stabs from the preachers
knife.
1t didn't take many minutes of this ex-
ercise to convince the preacher that he
was not an adept in killing bears, and he
concluded to climb a tree, By a lucky
stroke he stnck his knife in the eye of the
brute, which lay down and whined pitt
fully. taking advantage of the oppor-
tuDity, Webb ran to the nearest tree with
lowlying branches and scrambled up, but
none too soon, for the bear was on his
feet and after him before he reached
safe limb. A bear is an exelent climber
and In trice was in the tree with Webb,
who began to climb further out on the
limb The bear followed him up until he
was within four or five feet of Webb,
when the limb began to settle toward the
ground. Bruin hesitated a moment, and
then carefully advanced until he was
within reach OF Webb's arm, when the
latter luhged out for the bears sound eye
and succeeded in plunging his knife into
the brute's head. The bear lost his bal
ance and fell to the ground. The limb,
which had been thus bent at an angle Of
forty degrees by the combined weight of
preacher and bear, suddenly flew back to
its natural position, throwing the preach
er into the air. His decent was more
rapid than graceful, and he landed al
most ON top of the bear, which was by
this time getting upon his feet. Webb
was not hurt by the fall, and before the
bear could get his sound eye in proper
bearing Webb stabbed him in thei neck
and severed the juglar vein. In another
moment Bruin was dead at the preachers
feet